Dental impression-tray.



S. G. SUPPLEE.

DENTAL IMPRESSION TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1913.

1,083,509. Patented Jan. 6,1914,

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPII CO..WASH1NGTON; n L:

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SAMUEL Gr. SUPPLEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DENTAL IMPRESSION-TRAY.

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Patented J an. 6, 1914.

Serial No. 767,765.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. SUPrLnn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental Impression-Trays, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved dental tray for taking impressions of the mouth for artificial dentures.

The object of the invention is to provide improved features of construction whereby perfect impressions may be taken.

Heretofore it has been customary to provide such devices with immovable handles, which interfere with the proper closing of the mouth and the complete relaxation of the muscles of the cheek and lips, which relaxation is necessary to secure a perfect final impression. It has also been common to provide such devices with detachable handles, but in such cases there is always the danger of losing the handle and making it impossible to properly insert the tray to receive the initial bite.

My improved tray is provided with a handle which is neither immovable or detachable, but which is so arranged that it may be swung from the position where it is grasped in the act of inserting the tray to receive the initial bite and then may be turned out of the way before the final bite is applied, so that when the final bite is applied, the muscles of the lips and checks will be completely relaxed.

My invention has the further advantage that the movable handles, when moved back out of the way, stand in a position where they serve to hold the impression material which is applied to the convex side of the tray securely in place mechanically where heretofore mere adhesion has been relied upon for this purpose.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a section on the plane of the line :rm Fig. 2, after the wax has been puton and after the handles have been shifted to the hidden position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the under side-of the tray, with the handles extended ready for use. Fig. 3 is an edge elevation of the tray shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the under side of a modified tray.

1 represents the main body of the tray, which is of the usual conventional design.

In the preferred construction I employ in each instance two handles 2 2. Each of these handles is pivoted to the under side of the tray at the forward part thereof, the pivot points being indicated at 8-3. The handles 22 are preferably suitably curved so that when swung back into the hidden position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, they will lie substantially in the line of the ridge of the gum.

In Fig. 4:, T have shown a modified form of tray of conventional design, the same being indicated at 1. In this modification I have likewise shown the handles 2 a pivoted at a common point indicated at 3*. These handles likewise may be swung back to the hidden position indicated in dot-ted lines.

4 represents the impression material, which is applied to the upper side of the tray and by which the impression of the roof of the mouth and the upper ridge is taken. The initial step comprises taking an approximate impression of the upper part of the mouth, after which the impression is removed, the handles 22 are turned back to the hidden position, and impression mate rial 5 is then applied to the under side of the tray, embedding the handles 22, which handles in the hidden position serve as anchorages to mechanically hold the impression material last applied, so that when the tray with the initial impression is replaced in the mouth it will seek the position originally occupied, whereupon the patient may apply such biting pressure to the impression material, both above and below the plate itself, as to secure the final perfect impression, the cheeks and lips occupying a normal position in no way straining the tissues of the mouth so as to interfere with securing the perfect impression.

It is obvious, of course, that the handles may be fastened by any suitable means and at various places on the impression cup, so that parts of said cup may be cut out or cut away and used for partial impressions as well as full impressions. It is obvious that after the impression is made it is important that the impression material, both above and below the cup, should be rigidly anchored, so that there will be no relative displacement. The presence of the hidden handles within the material 5 will guarantee this; otherwise there would be danger of the material 5 becoming accidentally dedetachment. To that end, therefore, the best results are obtained by pivoting the handle or handles in such a way that they will stand substantially in line with the convex.

side of the ridge and close to the same, since in many cases it is only the convex ridge of the tray that need be covered with the impression material. The tray so constructed may be employed universally and will be found to constitute a great improvement over any construction now in common use.

It is to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the precise construction shown and described, but contemplate that many changes may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A dental impression tray, comprising a tray portion, a plurality of movable han- I dles permanently carried thereby and movable into position relatively thereto and into the plane of said tray whereby they assist in holding the impression material thereon.

2. A dental impression tray having two movable handles pivotally connected thereto, said handles being arranged to swing in opposite directions from a forwardly pro- SAMUEL e. SUPPLEE.

Witnesses IDA M. HUNZIKER, E. E. MORSE.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for dive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

